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Dartmoor Line

Introduction of passenger services to Okehampton.

In November 2021 the Dartmoor Line between Okehampton and Exeter reopened following a project delivered in partnership with Great Western Railway (GWR) and Devon County Council. This reinstated regular, daily passenger trains from Exeter to Okehampton for the first time in nearly fifty years.

The project was the first to be delivered under the Department for Transport’s Restoring Your Railway programme. Network Rail laid over 11 miles of track, replaced 24,000 concrete sleepers and installed nearly 29,000 tonnes of ballast. The railway has also improved connectivity to the wider area with connecting bus services running from Tavistock, Launceston and Bude into Okehampton station, thanks to work from Devon County Council and GWR. The line has proved to be a great success and recorded over 550,000 passenger journeys in its first two years of operation.

Trains

GWR run trains every hour between Exeter and Okehampton, calling at Crediton, which has also improved connectivity for the town. Exeter is a hub for the wider region providing a whole host of connections to the rest of Great Britain from Exeter St Davids. The new rail service provides access for education, work, shopping as well as other opportunities on offer in the city.

Okehampton

Okehampton is an historic town situated on the northern flank of Dartmoor National Park and is also the start of The Granite Way, an 11 mile multi-use trail connecting Okehampton with Lydford. The new trains have opened up sustainable access to various leisure opportunities in the town and surrounding areas thanks to the provision of connecting bus services to nearby towns and villages as well as cycle hire from Okehampton station.

What’s Next?

We are developing plans to built a new station – Okehampton Parkway – on the outskirts of Okehampton to further improve connectivity and green travel in the region.

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